Gendered student aspirations for public service careers

ABSTRACT This research aims to explore the factors influencing college students’ aspirations for careers in public service. More specifically, we examine how gender impacts public service sector preference, in terms of policy advocacy, government positions, and crime and policing as well as their likelihood to apply for such careers. Given a breadth of literature suggesting that women are averse to applying for competitive positions, we survey undergraduate students using mock-up job announcements with minimum qualifications greater than a bachelor’s degree. We find some differences in sector preferences and find that women were more likely to apply to public service positions upon graduation. Moreover, experiences related to leadership, coursework, family, qualifications, and learning behaviors influenced interest in specific careers and the likelihood of applying to careers in public service.